Article-to-surface locking device



April 18, 1967 A. K. ROMBERG. 3,314,633 ARTICLE-TO-SURFACE LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 19, 1965 IN VEN TOR. ALBERT K. ROMBERG United States Patent C) 3,314,633 ARTICLE-T-SURFAE LOCKHNG DEVICE Albert K. Romberg, Coronado, Calif, assignor to Kaiser Industries Corporation, Oakland, (Ialif, a corporation of Nevada Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 456,994 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-119) This invention relates to an arrangement for interconnecting an article such as a conventional freight container with a floor or deck surface so as to lock and effectively prevent lateral and/ or longitudinal shifting of the article relative to such a surface. More particularly, it relates to an improved article-to-surface locking device comprising unique interengageable elements which become interlocked when the article is brought into engagement therewith.

Accordingly, the primary purpose of the instant invention is to provide an improved article-to-surface locking device having novel interengageable elements which become interlocked when the articles are brought into engagement therewith and wherein the article to be anchored acts in the manner of a wedge for drawing the elements of the locking device together.

This and other purposes and advantages will become more apparent from a review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the improved locking device comprising interengageable shoe and lug elements;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 22 of FIG. 1 and illustrates certain details of the base portion of the shoe element;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of several containers anchored to a floor surface and illustrates a typical pattern that can be used for the improved anchoring devices in interconnecting a series of containers in compact relation to each other to the underlying floor surface; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a further locking element arrangement that can be used to anchor containers to a floor surface.

With further reference to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1-3, a preferred form of the improved anchoring device that can be used in carrying out the teachings of the instant invention generally comprises interengageable locking elements 12 and 14. One of the parts comprises a lug 12 preferably made in the form of a metal plate member which is suitably affixed to a floor surface 16 such as by welding. The other part comprises a shoe or bracket 14 which is preferably made in the form of a metal casting. The shoe 14 is adapted to be interengageable with the lug 12 in a unique manner which will be subsequently described. In use of the devices 10, it is contemplated that a plurality of devices lil will have been previously located and aflixed to a suitable floor surface in such a fashion that the devices 10 are disposed to removably engage or contact the bottom corners of the containers 18. The containers can have any number of corners although four-cornered containers are the usual type of containers that are used with the anchoring device 10 of the instant invention. In such instances at least two diagonally arranged corner anchoring devices are used. In general, each locking device 10 involves a lug 12 welded or otherwise secured to a floor surface, and a shoe 14 which slidably engages the lug and a corner of a container 13 or the like. When the corners of the container are deposited in the pockets 5 of at least a pair of shoes 14, the container becomes locked in position and lateral and longitudinal shifting of a container 18 relative to the floor surface 20 is inhibited since the container acts as a wedge forcing the shoe to become fully locked to its associated lug 12. If desired, appropriate straps or ropes 22 can also be used to further secure containers Patented Apr. 18, 1967 18 to the floor surface or support 20 as will be noted more fully hereinafter.

The shoe 14 generally comprises a flat base portion 24 and intersecting angularly disposed upstanding walls 26 and 28 which are located along two adjacent sides of the shoe 14 and forming a container receiving pocket 5. Each wall 26 and 28 includes a lower portion 30 projecting vertically upward from the top surface of the base portion 24 and merging, intermediate the height of each wall, into a divergent outwardly directed flange 32. The angular relation between the vertical planar faces 34 of each wall 26 and 28 is preferably In addition, wall 28 is laterally offset inwardly from its respective side edge of the base portion 24 so that parallel spaced reinforcing rib portions 36 can vertically extend between the top surface of the base portion 24 to the outer peripheral edge of the flange 32 of the wall 28 in the manner shown in FIG. 1. Wall 26 is similarly laterally offset with respect to its side edge and also has parallel spaced reinforcing ribs 36 all of which is evident upon an inspection of FIG. 3. A transverse circular opening 38 is provided in each flange, the purpose of which will be subsequently described.

The bottom surface and one side of the base portion 24 such as side 25 adjacent the wall 28 are advantageously cut away to provide or define a closed end bottom recess 40. Two of the spaced side surfaces or walls that define part of the recess 4i) and generally indicated at 42 are arranged parallel to each other and extend longitudinally inward from the side 25. They are interconnected at their inner longitudinal end by the transversely disposed wall or surface 46.

As best shown in FIG. 2, each Wall 42 includes a flange or lip 49. These flanges 49 advantageously interengage or mesh with similar mating flanges on the lug 12 of the device, as will be subsequently described, to prevent lateral and longitudinal movement of the anchoring device 10 and a container engaged therewith relative to the floor surface as well as relative vertical movement between the shoe 14 and the floor surface 16. As indicated in the drawings, the side 25 of the element 14 has been beveled by side surfaces 51 which extend in a divergent fashion outwardly from the opening of the recess 44 to intersect with adjacent sides of the element 14-. One of the reasons for such beveling is to minimize sharp corners on the device 10 that may cause injury to the user.

The other part or lug 12 of the article locking device 10 constitutes a plate member 12 suitably aflixed by welding along its bottom peripheral edge to the support member or floor surface 16. Two parallel side surfaces 50 of the lug 12 are cut away adjacent the aflixed bottom edge of the lug 12 to define a longitudinal recess that substantially corresponds to the shape of the flange 49 on the surface 42 of the recess 40. Thus, when the shoe 14 is slid into interengagement with the aflixed lug, surfaces 42 and 50 of the recess 40 and the lug 12 of the device 10 are beneficially in surface-to-surface engagement. Such engagement not only prevents separation of the shoe 14 from the floor surface 16 but also prevents relative movement of the shoe with respect to the floor surface 16 other than in a direction in which the shoe 14 can be slidably moved relative to the aflixed lug 12 for engagement or disengagement. During the aforedescribed interengagement of the lug 12 and shoe 14, top surface 53 of the lug 12 and surface 47 of the recess 40 are normally in surface-to-surface engagement as well as the bottom surface of the base portion 24 and the floor surface 16.

When the lugs are aflixed in a desired pattern on the floor surface 16, such as the pattern shown in FIG. 4, their projection above the level of the floor surface is minimal and little or no obstruction or interference results during the general use of the floor or deck surface 16. Upon engagement of the shoe 14 with each lug 12 on the floor, a series of containers can be interengaged with and locked to the devices as shown in FIG. 3. In order to deposit a container within a series of devices 10 of the instant invention which have been previously located on the floor surface or support member 16, it is normally required to utilize a combination of left and right shoes. If only two such devices are used, they should be arranged diagonally relative to each other whereby the walls 26 and 28 of the pair of shoes will each separately engage one of the four walls of a four sided container. Thus, the shoe 1 iaforedescribed in FIG. 1 for purposes of illustration constitutes a left shoe element. Three left shoes 14', 14 and 14" and two right shoes 14 and 14 are arranged in the manner shown in FIG. 3 which are identical to each other except for the fact that the slot or recess 40 in each shoe 14 projects under wall 26 thereof rather than under wall 28 as aforedescribed in FIG. 1. When the container 18 is lowered onto the shoes 14', 14" and 14 or the shoes 14' and 14", as the case may be, these shoes will ride on their associated lugs and become locked thereto by the wedging action of the container 18 against the walls 26 and 28 of the shoes.

In other words, an opposing pair of shoes such as shoes 14 and 14" disposed in relation to the foremost container in FIG. 3 are forced apart until the walls 46 of their respective slots 40 will engage the end 40 (indicated in FIG. 1) of their associated lugs 12 at which time the shoes 14 and 14" become removably wedged between their respective lugs 12 and the container 18 proper.

As indicated in FIG. 4 when only two lugs and shoes are employed, they are arranged diagonally across from each other a proper distance and in this instance, the recesses 40 in each shoe 14 will project under the wall 28 of the shoe.

As indicated heretofore, it is usually preferred when anchoring a container relative to the floor surface 20 in FIG. 3 to have a device 10 of the instant invention located in each bottom corner, in this instance the four corners of each container 18. Although not heretofore mentioned, it is to be noted that when the containers 18 are secured to the floor surface 20 in a compact but aligned relationship, a set of immediately adjacent left and right shoes 14 as indicated in FIG. 4, can be advantageously engaged by a common lug 12' which is of a sufiicient length to extend between the opening and the closed end of the recesses 40 in each of the shoes 14.

In interconnecting the containers 18 to the floor surface by the improved device 10 of the instant invention, it is usual that the appropriate left and right shoes have been connected to their associated lugs so that the outwardly divergent flanges 32 and outwardly flaring top portions of the walls 26 and 28 on the shoes advantageously function to guide the container into proper position as the container is being deposited such as by a hoist (not shown) in a conventional manner with respect to its interconnective devices 10. Furthermore, the aforedescribed openings 38 in the flanges advantageously receive hold down clips such as 23 in FIG. 1 to which ropes 22 are afiixed with ropes 22 being disposed in the shoes in the manner shown in FIG. 3 to further tie down each container 18 relative to the floor surface 20 if the same is desired. The instant devices 10 can be advantageously used to removably anchor containers or the like to the deck or surface of ships or land vehicles. Their parts are so formed whereby they do not require the use of bolts, screws, cams or levers which do not always function etficiently either because of their susceptibility to corrosion and the accumulation of dirt or special tool requirements.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention has been shown and described. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for anchoring an article to a supporting surface to prevent relative movement therebetween, comprising the combination of a supporting surface, a lug affixed to the supporting surface and a shoe slidably disposed on said lug, said shoe having a recess within which the lug is matingly received, a wall surface for said recess acting as a stop member for limiting the extent of movement of the shoe in one direction relative to said lug, and further wall means on said shoe engageable with the article to be anchored and cooperating with the recess under the influence of the article for locking the shoe to the lug.

2. A device for anchoring an article to a support member so as to prevent relative lateral movement therebetween, said device comprising a support member, a lug aflixed to the support member and a shoe slidably disposed on said lug, said shoe having a recess defined by an end wall and opposed side walls in the bottom and along one side thereof within which the lug is matingly received, the end wall of said recess acting as a stop member for limiting the extent of movement of the shoe in one direction relative to said lug, the side walls of the recess of the shoe and the side walls of the lug having interengaging flange elements and upstanding walls on the shoe engageable with the article to be anchored.

3. A device for anchoring an article to a support member so as to prevent relative lateral movement therebetween, said device comprising a support member, a lug afiixed to the support member and a shoe slidably fitted about said lug, said shoe being provided along the bottom surface and one side thereof with a recess defined by an end wall and opposed side walls within which the lug is matingly received, the end wall of the recess acting as a stop element for engaging an end of the lug, the opposed side walls of said recess and the cooperating opposed sides of the lug having matching flange elements and upstanding wall elements on the shoe one of which is arranged above and at an angle to the recess of the shoe for engaging the article to be anchored.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein the upstanding wall elements are arranged at a angle relative to each other.

5. A device for anchoring an article to a support member so as to prevent relative lateral movement therebetween, said device comprising a support member, at least a pair of lugs affixed to the support member and in spaced relation to each other and shoes adapted to be separately assembled to said lugs by slidable engagement therewith, each of said shoes being provided along the bottom and one side thereof with a recess within which the lug associated with a shoe is matingly received, the end wall of the recess of a shoe acting as a stop element for engaging an end of the lug associated with the shoe so as to restrict movement in one direction of the shoe relative to the lug associated with the shoe, the recess in one shoe opening in a different direction from the recess in the other shoe, and upstanding walls on each shoe for wedging the article to be anchored to the support member.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the side walls of the recess of a shoe and the lug associated with the shoe are provided with interlocking flange elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 770,510 9/1904 Stullken 248-419 X 3,059,886 10/1962 Lord 248-119 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,772,939 8/1930 Fitch. 2,030,862 2/ 1936 Fitch.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

JOHN PETO, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,314,633 April 18, 1967 Albert K. Romberg It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4 line 57 for "wedging" read wedgingly engaging Signed and sealed this 2nd day of July 1968 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. A DEVICE FOR ANCHORING AN ARTICLE TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE TO PREVENT RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A SUPPORTING SURFACE, A LUG AFFIXED TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACE AND A SHOE SLIDABLY DISPOSED ON SAID LUG, SAID SHOE HAVING A RECESS WITHIN WHICH THE LUG IS MATINGLY RECEIVED, A WALL SURFACE OF SAID RECESS ACTING AS A STOP MEMBER FOR LIMITING THE EXTENT OF MOVEMENT OF THE SHOE IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID LUG, AND FURTHER WALL MEANS ON SAID SHOE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE ARTICLE TO BE ANCHORED AND COOPERATING WITH THE RECESS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE ARTICLE FOR LOCKING THE SHOE TO THE LUG. 